KAUTO STAR - 29 of 31 LIFETIME RACES COLLECTION

KAUTO STAR (March 19, 2000 – June 29, 2015) was a French-bred National Hunt champion racehorse who was trained by Paul Nicholls in Somerset and owned by Clive Smith. He won the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice, in 2007 and 2009, becoming the first horse to regain the cup after losing it in 2008 when seven lengths behind Denman. He tried for three more years to win the race again, but the best placing he could achieve was in 2011 when third behind Long Run. He also won the King George VI Chase a record five times. He was one of the most successful steeplechasers of modern era finishing his racing career with a National Hunt record of £3,775,883 in earnings, which consisted of £2,375,883 in race prize money, £1,000,000 bonus for the completion of 2006/2007 Stayers Chase Triple Crown and also £400,000 reward for heading the BHA Table of Merit in the same 2006/2007 season.

His expected retirement was confirmed at the end of October 2012. His trainer, Paul Nicholls, and his owner, Clive Smith, subsequently disagreed over how he should spend his post-racing career. As a result, the horse left Nicholls' yard at Ditcheat on December 11, 2012, and was sent to Laura Collett who, together with Yogi Breisner, the coach of the Great Britain dressage team, assessed the horse to determine if he was suitable for the sport. Clive Smith said of Nicholls: "He is trying emotional blackmail, saying that KAUTO STAR would be better off staying at Ditcheat to be Clifford Baker's hack. I always want to do the best for KAUTO STAR. We are going to try it, what is wrong with that?"

On June 24, 2015, KAUTO STAR was seriously injured when falling in his paddock. After receiving intensive medical treatment over the weekend at the Valley Equine Hospital, the multiple injuries proved too severe and on Monday June 29, 2015, at 3 pm the legendary horse had to be humanely euthanized, veterinary assistant Hattie Lawrence reporting, "Three bones appear to have been fractured... There also appears to have been a fracture to the spine at the base of the neck... This ultimately was the most significant injury as it produced the paralysis that made it impossible for him to stand". The news of his death only broke a day later and tributes were sent from racing bodies like The Jockey Club, "Deeply saddened to hear the news about KAUTO STAR, so many amazing memories of a true champion and incredible athlete", and personalities like AP McCoy, "Sad news about KAUTO STAR the most complete chaser of the modern-era RIP".

Timeform rate KAUTO STAR as the joint-third best steeplechase horse in their history. His rating of 191 is equal to MILL HOUSE and surpassed only by ARKLE on 212 and FLYINGBOLT on 210. He was officially rated the best steeplechase horse of the 2006/07, 2007/08, 2009/10 and 2011/12 seasons. He also achieved the highest Racing Post Rating ever awarded (192).

Watch 29 out of 31 lifetime races of the legendary steeple sensation, KAUTO STAR, in the most comprehensive racing collection you will ever find.

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